Electric clock-motor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. k A. RECKENZAUN.

ELECTRIC CLOCK MOTOR.

No. 473,960. Patented May 3,1892.

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2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

- A. REGKBNZAUN.

, ELECTRIC OLOGK MOTOR. No. 473,960 Patented May 8, 1892.

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ANTHONY REOKENZAUN, OF STOOKIVELL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO JAMES A. PENTZ, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC CLOCK-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,960, dated May 3, 1892.

Application filed December 16,1889. Serial No- 333,964=. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it ntcty concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTHONY RECKENZAUN, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of England, residing at Hemberton Road, Stockwell, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clock-Motors; andIdo declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to clocks, motors, or other moving devices which are actuated by a current or currents of electricity; and it has for its objects to produce constant motion upon a spindle and any mechanism connected therewith.

It further has for its object to entirely eliminate sparking at points of contact when the same are separatedan object which has hitherto been difficult of accomplishment without complicated devices.

To the accomplishment of the above and such other objects as may herein appear, the invention will be hereinafter particularly de scribed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation with parts in section; 2, a plan of same. Figs. 3 andt represent, diagrammatically, the combination of those parts relating to the electrical circuits.

Theinstrument consists, essentially, of an electro-magnet M, capable of exertinga force upon an armature A. These parts may be of any well-known suitable shape. This armature A is attached to a pendulum G, and both together are looselysuspended upon aspindle H. The shape of this pendulum may be varied or a balance-wheel substituted therefor. Pendulum C also carries a pawl R, which presses against the teeth of a ratchet-wheel I E. This ratchet-wheel is fixed to the spindle ratchet-wheel. \Vhen desired, a double pawl may be used in order to obtain motion of the spindle for the forward as well as the return swing of the pendulum, or an escapementwheel and anchor may be substituted. Ihave merely shown the most elementary form of such movement, which is old and wellknown.

The pendulum is prolonged and carries at its upper end an adjustable screw P, which makes periodical contact with a spring 0. This spring is insulated from the rest of the mechanism by a strip I, which also carries terminals T. There is also a small bracket carrying an adj listing-screw L, which serves the purpose of a buffer to spring Q through some elastic or other medium. In the drawings it is a strip of metal. By means ofL the length of swing in the pendulum can be determined and varied. The length of the pendulum itself is also adjustable, and the motion can also be varied by lengthening or shortening screw P, and thus a wide range of adjustment is provided. This is valuable in case this clock is intended to work an electric meter, such as described in my patents, Nos. 39%,880 and 394,881, both of December 18, 1888, where for convenience sake and to save calculations the speed of the meter is calibrated to give a constant without fractions.

The coils of the electro-magnet H are wound and connected in a peculiar manner. Each bobbin is wound simultaneously (by which I mean winding the Wires together so that they will lie side by side) with a pair of insulated wires a and b in Figs. 3 and 4., constituting a large number of turns and layers, although for clearness sake in the diagrams only few turns are shown. The source of supply of electricity is indicated by B B. Arrows indicate the direction of the flow of current. Thus in Fig. 4 it will be observed that owing to contact being broken between Q, and P the current can only flow through coils a a,which have the effect of setting up equal and opposite poles N S in the iron cores of the magnet.

Fig. 3 gives the flow of current when circuit is made betweenQand P. The currents in a and Z) flow in opposite directions and the poles at the free ends of the magnet are destroyed. By winding the magnet-bobbins with a pair of equal wires (not two bobbins side by side or one upon the other, as has been often suggested) I obtain, first, absolute equilibrium when all the wires are in circuit; secondly, practically the same resistance in each Wire, they being of exactly the same length and diameter, and, thirdly, no self-induction when circuit is broken in one pair of coils.

The spark which is observed in an ordinary electro-magnet when its circuit is opened is due to the electro-motive force of self-induction set up in the coils of the electro-magnet. This effect I destroy in the manner described and produce a perfectly-sparkless break.

Referring again to Fig. 1, itwill be seen that pendulum O hangs in a vertical position, due to gravity. This position can only be maintained when no current circulates through the magnet-coils. \Vith the pendulum in this position Q, and P cannot touch. As soon,however, as a current is made to flow through the terminals T and Q the coils a will be instantly energized and opposite polarity set up in the magnet M. The armature A is thereby attracted to assume a straight position relatively to its center line with the center line of the magnet-poles. Thus it pulls the pendulum, being connected with the armature, along with it; but as soon as the pendulum begins to swing it causes contact between P and Q, with the result of demagnetizing the magnet-cores and releasing the armature. The momentum acquired by the pendulum allows the same to complete its first swing in one direction, with the eitect of bending spring Q, thus keeping contact and giving time for the more or less perfect magnetic change in the iron cores. Gravity will bring the pendulum back to its original position and the momentum again acquired will send it be yond the vertical center line. During a great part of this movement Q and P are separated. Therefore remagnetization takes place in the iron cores, the armature receives a fresh impulse, and regular motion must continue as long as there is aconstant supply of electricity to the instrument. With su'lflcient weight at the end of the pendulum, or in lieu of this a balance-wheel and spring, it is almost immaterial whether the armature is attracted when the pawl R pushes the ratchet-wheel E or this work is done by gravity in the returnspring, and the whole combination can be reversed from that shown in the drawings with similar effects.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. In an electric clock or motor, the combination, with power-transmitting mechanism and an electromagnetic device for maintaining movement of said mechanism from the supply-circuit so long as there is a current in said circuit, of a pair of insulated wires in circuit with the supply-circuit and wound side by side about said electromagnetic device, and a make-and-break device in the circuit of one of said wires for automatically breaking the circuit of said wire without disconnecting the other wire from the supply-circuit, said make-and-break device being operated 011 by the electromagnetic device to close the circuit, whereby polar and non-polar effects are set up in alternation in the electromagnetic device without disconnecting the supply-circuit and the power-transmitting mechanism thus kept in motion,substantially as described.

2. In an electric clock or motor, the combination, with power-transmitting mechanism and an electromagnetic device for maintaining movement of said mechanism from the supply-circuit so long as there is a current in the supply-circuit, said electromagnetic device comprising two electro-magnet bobbins and their cores and an armature, of a pair of insulated wires wound side by side upon each bobbin and oppositely connected in circuit to produce alternately polar and non-polar effects as the current passes through only one or both of said wires, and a make-and-break contact in the circuit of one of said wires, said contact being rendered sparkless by one of the wires remaining in circuit with the supply-circuit and acted on by said electromagnet through said armature to close the circuit in which it is located, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with a rotatable spindle for transmitting power, of an armature and mechanism deriving momentum th erefrom and imparting it to said spindle, and an electromagnetic device for influencing said armature, said device having a pair of insulated wires, one of which has a make-andbreak contact controlled by the movement of said armature, said wires being wound side by side into coils, through one of which the current flows until the circuit is established in the other, after which it flows through each one in a direction opposite to the other, whereby said device is magnetized and then domagnetized without sparking at the makeand-break contact, substantially as described.

l. The combination of a rotatable spindle for transmitting power, an armature and mechanism deriving power therefrom and imparting it to said spindle, an electromagnetic device for influencing said armature, and a contact device for establishing a circuit in a portion of said electromagnetic device, said contact device comprising a springand acontact-point, one of said elements being moved to meet the other to close the circuit by said above-mention ed mechanism, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a rotatable spindle for transmitting power, an armature and mechanism deriving power from said armatu re and imparting it to said spindle, an electromagnetic device for influencing said armature, a contact device for establishing a circuit in a portion of the coils of said electromagnetic device, said contact device comprising a spring and a contact-point adjustable to control the movement of said mentioned mechanism, a butter for said contact device, and an adjustable stop to move said butter to limit the movement of said beforereferred-to mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the electro-magnet bobbins, the wires wound side by side upon the same and connected with a supply-circuit, the shaft for transmitting power, the armature'and swinging membercarrying a circuitcloser connected together and turningloosely upon said shaft, means for transmitting motion from the armature to the shaft, the elastic contact-point in circuit with the wires, and the point carried by said moving member and in circuit, said points constituting a make-and-break device to close the circuitin one set of wires, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with the magnet-bobbins each having wires wound side by side, a swinging member actuating a circuit-closer, an armature actuating said swinging member, and a make-and-break device comprising the elastic plate and the circuit-closer point carried by said swinging member, of the buffer for the make-and-break device composed of the spring-plate, and the set-screw for adj usting it, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ANTHONY RECKENZAUN.

Witnesses:

E. COURTNEY WALKER, GERALD F. BIRD. 

